The new F-Gas regulations became
law on 4th July 2006 with the majority of measures
having already taken effect from 4th July
2007.

The main objective of this
regulation is to contain, prevent and thereby reduce emissions of
the fluorinated greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto protocol. The
regulation addresses containment, use, recover, destruction,
reporting, labelling, training and certification on the market
prohibitions for the fluorinated gases.

Operators of stationary
refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment shall use
all measures which are technically feasible and do not entail
disproportionate cost to prevent leakage of HFCs and as soon as
possible repair any detected leakage.

An operator is defined as the natural or
legal person exercising actual power over the technical functioning
of the systems covered by this regulation. A member state may in
specific situations designate the owner as being responsible for
the operator's obligations.

These operators shall ensure systems are checked for leakage by
certified personnel, as defined by the training and certification
requirement.

Systems shall be checked for leakage dependant on refrigerant
charge

3KG Charge – check at least every 12 months

30KG Charge – check at least every 6 months

300KG Charge – check at least every 3 months

The application shall be checked for leakage within 1 month
after a leak has been repaired to ensure the repair was
effective.

Operators of equipment containing 300KG or more shall install
leakage detection systems – these must be checked every 12
months

“Checked for leakage” means that the system is examined for
leakage using direct and indirect methods.

Operators of equipment with more
than 3KG will need to maintain records on the quantity and type of
HFC installed. Any quantities added or recovered during
maintenance, servicing and disposal will need to be recorded along
with leak checks and any actions taken.

R22
Replacement

R22 – A hydro
fluorocarbon (HCFC). R22 is a member of a class of compounds which
have been linked to ozone depletion in the earth’s upper
atmosphere. As a result, HCFCs ceased being used in new air
conditioning equipment in the UK in 2003, in favour of
non-ozone-depleting alternatives such as R410a and R407c. As from 1
January 2010, the use of virgin R22 and other HCFCs in the repair
and maintenance of air conditioning and other refrigeration
equipment was banned.

To complicate matters
further, the regulations also outlaw the stockpiling of virgin R22
for use after the deadline, so any R22 left unused at the end of
2009 should have been returned for destruction at the owner’s
expense.

New legislation is
already in force for the removal and replacement of this low
temperature refrigerant. A ban on the production of the refrigerant
came into effect from the 1st January 2010. R22 refrigerant was
widely used throughout in new air conditioning and industrial
refrigerant plants and these changes in legislation affect any
company that has a high requirement for R22 refrigeration; over 65%
of the UK’s systems are assumed to still be running on R22. The
refrigerant is still available in a reclaimed format until December
2014 however, demand is high due to the recent phase out and prices
are expected if not already rising to extreme levels.